An Absolut Success !!!

Wednesday 30th of October at the Mabos Art Space in Hanover Quay, Dublin, saw the launch of Absolut Originality.  Absoult Originality is an exhibition combining four different disciplines into one exceptional piece. The idea behind this was to use this creativity from four different discipline areas and combine them to create a stunning, new design for a limited edition bottle of Absolut Vodka. The four discipline areas and their designers are as follows:


Fashion: Danielle Romeril
Light Project: Brian Kenny
Film: Jamie Delaney
Illustration: Chrissie Abbott

The combination of all of these guys imaginations brought one truly fantastic exhibition, the new bottle takes inspiration from the dress designed by Danielle Romeril (Left). There was also a fantastic video section to the exhibition which brought together the work of Brian Kenny, Jamie Delaney & Chrissie Abbott. This was a fantastic video that showcased the dress designed by Danielle but also had this great free flowing feel to it. The video really captured the uniqueness of the dress itself and in turn the new design for the Absolut Limited Edition Bottle.

Another great piece at the event was a new interactive exhibition that allowed the user to design their own dress based on the original from Danielle, but give it their own unique twist. This piece allowed people to alter and create a new design with just the movement of their hand. This allowed people to be as artistic as they felt they could be and gave a huge selection of fantastic original art pieces.









This was a fantastic event to be invited to and I have to thank Absolut for the chance to be involved and attend the launch of this fantastic exhibition, it was a great night enjoyed by everyone in attendance. There was a great buzz in the room, with live music being played and people having a chat about the different elements of Absolut Originality.


The new limited edition bottle is on sale in selected retailers and there are only a limited number of them, so if you want one you need to get out there quick and buy one, they are really great looking bottles.

Why not check out the Absolut Originality Website below for a bit more information, as well as some fantastic Absolut Vodka Recipes to try out on all of your friends and family.

http://www.absolut.com/ie/Originality/

Shane

The Genuine Beer Blog

@GenuineBeerBlog, Facebook & Google+ 

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Places You Must Visit - Feature Post : Bull & Castle

Hey everyone.
Today's post is the start of a new collection of posts that will be a regular feature of The Genuine Beer Blog; looking at great pubs, bars & restaurants that serve high quality beer and great food, throughout Ireland. Today's post kick starting this new feature is a fantastic Pub/Restaurant set in the heart of Dublin; today we are looking at the Bull & Castle in Dublin's Christchurch, Dublin 8.

Bull & Castle

5-7 Lord Edward Street,

Christchurch,

Dublin 8

http://bull-and-castle.fxbuckley.ie

The Bull & Castle is a fantastic pub that stocks a huge variety of craft beers from not only Ireland, but all over the world; it also has a reputation for absolutely outstanding food. This outstanding food all comes down to the history of F.X Buckley; one of the longest running butchers in Dublin. Francis Xavier Buckley opened his first butchers back in 1930 on Dublin's Moore street, which has since become a well known cornerstone in Dublin. This prestigious butchers provides the best quality meat to all of their steakhouses around Dublin, which can be experienced in the Bull & Castle. This great meat comes down to the hanging process that is used and also to the knowledge and great breeds of cattle that are used to produce their top quality meat. The knowledge of their meat is also evident when it comes to the cooking process; where you will be given the chance to have your steak prepared however you like it, from blue to well done; not to mention a huge selection of steaks available.

This therefore sets you up for a great meal that can only be accompanied with fantastic beer; this is something that the Bull & Castle has heaps of.
The Bull and Castle prides itself in offering its customers a huge variety of beer and other alcoholic beverages from all over Ireland and the rest of the world. The Bull and Castle provide a huge selection of craft beers; gently persuading its customers to try something different from the main stream beer that is out there. If you have an open mind about beer and are up for trying some fantastic craft beer then you really should give the Bull and Castle your attention. There is a vast menu of beer to choose from which people may find overwhelming and not really know where to start. This is not a problem as the great staff at the Bull and Castle will help you to find a beer that will suit your taste, asking which style of beer you like and what flavours your enjoy; matching a beer to that taste. You are also able to get a tasting tray, where you can try either 4 beers (small tray), or 8 beers (ultimate tray). This gives you the opportunity to try a huge selection of different craft beers from all over, its a fantastic opportunity. The Bull and Castle has beers ranging from Ireland to America, from Scotland to Germany and from England to Belgium, you will definitely find a beer that you will enjoy that you may not have tried before.

If beer isn't your thing, not to worry as they also offer a fantastic range of Wines, Ciders and Spirits; something for everyone; there is also a cocktail menu to help get your evening started.

I really cannot highlight enough what a fantastic establishment the Bull and Castle is; it really will not leave you disappointed in the slightest. I would highly recommend giving the Bull and Castle a try, if not for the great selection of alcoholic beverages available; but for the fantastic steak house menu or even the finger licking good bar menu upstairs.

Overall I would give the Bull and Castle a rating of

for fantastic food and a huge, amazing selection of Craft Beer; a real must visit Pub.

If you are a pub/restaurant interested in The Genuine Beer Blog doing a feature post on you; or if you have any suggestions of must try places, please drop me an email at shaneraiseurglass@gmail.com.

Shane

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Stout: The Origins and Beyond !!!

Hey Everyone, it's Saturday and I thought I would do a post similar to last week but looking at a different style of beer. So I will give a little bit of history behind a beer style and then give a comparison between two beers in that style.

So the beer style that I have decided to look at today is:

Stout

There are many different varieties of stout out there, ranging from a Dry stout to a Milk stout, From an Imperial Stout to a Chocolate stout, to name just a few. There is a lot of debate in the beer world as to where stout or more the term stout comes from. So on that note lets take a look at the history of this beer style and where it all began.

A Brief History:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CHrKKDU9290/
TR8RvX6sO_I/AAAAAAAAHrE/FJgz_
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In the early 1720's London, United Kingdom was well on its way making lots of beer, its most popular at the time was it Porter, a beer that was extremely popular with the people working the ports of London. This beer was a dark brown in colour and was enjoyed by so many due to its high alcohol content. The beer was so popular that large volumes of it were being shipped over to Ireland, in time Ireland started to brew their own porters. The iconic colour of the porter comes from the roasted malt or barley that is used in the brewing process, giving it a rich dark, black colour. The use of the word "stout" is something that causes a lot of debate with the beer community. The original meaning of the word "Stout" was "proud" or "brave", this was further developed over time to mean "Strong", it is this version of the meaning that applies to the beer. Porters ranged in strength and it was this range that was so appealing to all, not to mention it was able to last a lot longer without going off and the longer it was left the stronger it would get. The stronger versions of porter started to get the name "Stout Porter", however some breweries decided to remove the porter name completely and just use the "stout" name. One example of this is Guinness, Ireland, they were making ales for many years, but it is their porter that is just known as "stout".

http://www.guinness.com/en-ie/img/promo-alt.jpg

There are many different versions of stouts as mentioned above, these ranging from Milk stouts to Chocolate stouts, Dry stouts to Coffee stouts, Oatmeal stouts to Imperial stouts. Each style of stout has its own flavours and characteristics, all of which you should get out and try. There is also oyster stout. It was very common for pubs and bars to serve oysters with stout at the time, however some breweries did take to using oysters in the brewing process, this would give a distinct flavour to the beer. This isn't the case with all oyster stouts though, some breweries just use the name oyster as they feel that their stout would work well with oysters. This just shows the diversity of the Stout.

Comparison:

Celebration Stout, The Porterhouse

This is a really nice beer, smooth, bitter, roasted malt flavours. This is a strong beer coming in at 7% ABV, however very well balanced with just a slight alcohol edge to it. Rich and indulgent, a beer to enjoy as the name states, for a celebration. 




Black Chocolate Stout, Brooklyn Brewing Company

This is an exceptional beer, rich, smooth and with deep, full flavours. There is a real flavour of chocolate to this beer, with a really smooth texture to it. This beer is very strong at 10% ABV, however the balance to this beer is extraordinary, it is so well balanced you would never feel it was that strong. This is a beer that should be enjoyed slowly, with its warming, moreish quality.


(For the full beer reviews, just click on the names above)

My Thoughts:
Stouts offer such diversity to its drinkers, which means that if your not a huge fan of a dry stout, why not try something slightly sweeter, like a Milk Stout or a Chocolate Stout, or if you like a really strong, deep flavoured stout, why not try an Imperial Stout. I feel that due to its diversity it is a beer style that can appeal to such a wide audience of beer drinkers, making it a beer style that is popular with many.

I think that people should get out there and try as many different stouts and porters as they can, as there are so many different varieties and you will end up finding your favourite. I would highly recommend the Black Chocolate stout by the Brooklyn Brewing Company above, this beer isn't available all year round, so you should stock up when it is available as it is just to die for.

I would love to hear from you all and you feelings on Stouts Tell us what your favourite style of stout is and feel free to suggest some stouts that are out there that you feel deserve a review on the blog. Leave you comments in the comments box below.

Hope you all enjoy the post, and most of all try the diverse stouts out there and enjoy your weekends and beers !!!

Shane

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Lets Create A Beer Blog Community !!!

Hey everyone, so its 2013 and today I have taken inspiration from my girlfriends blog post, I thought it would be a great idea to try and get you all involved a little more in the blog, but more importantly to introduce a way for you all to share your blogs and get a community going. So in order to do this all you need to do is follow the instructions below, its very simple:

1) Click on the Button ("Add Your Link")
2) Add in your Blogs Details
3) Then Click on OK

Once you have filled in the details required, it will add your blog onto the post, allowing other people to come along and click on your blog and check it out. You can also become a follower of the Genuine Beer Blog by clicking the Button on the right hand sidebar.

It would be really good if we could get as many Beer Bloggers or any bloggers that would like to be apart of this on here adding their blogs and then if we get a good showing I will integrate these onto the blog permanently. I think this would be a great way to get a community going, but also to keep up to date with each others blogs.

Please feel free to get involved and leave any feedback or comments in the comments box below,

Happy New Year Everyone !!!

Shane

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Happy New Year: Celebration Stout !!!

Hey Everyone, So the New Year countdown begins and it only seems fitting that a special beer be on show today, so today we are in Dublin, Ireland, the place I will be celebrating New Year, so I hope you all enjoy !!!

Beer Name:
Celebration Stout

Brewery:

The Porterhouse

Brewed and Bottled:
The Porterhouse Brewing Company
Dublin,
Ireland







Alcoholic Percentage:

7.0% Vol

Measure:

330ml

Taste:

Roasted Malt, Deep, Full Flavoured, Coffee, Chocolate, Very Bitter, Smooth

Colour:

Black

Odour:

Slight Chocolate, Slight Malt

General Thoughts:

Celebration Stout is a really smooth, full flavoured beer, with deep, rich, roasted malt flavours. There is a strong bitterness to this beer, coming from what I recon is a roasted malt. There is also a bitter after taste to this beer, which for me works in its favour as it leaves you wanting to go back for more. This beer is not overpowering as it is well balanced, however you are aware of the beers strength and there is a slight alcohol taste to this beer, which isn't surprising as it is a modest 7% ABV. Celebration Stout is an indulgent beer, that should be enjoyed slowly, this is not a session beer, or a beer to drink in excess, but rather a beer that should be enjoyed on a special occasion, a special occasion like New Years Eve. The name definitely reflects this beer, a special beer to bring out when there is something to celebrate. On the whole Celebration Stout is a really tasty beer, full flavoured, with a moreish quality that keeps you interested. This is a beer to be enjoyed slowly and is a really nice beer, also has a warming quality to it. All in all I was very impressed with Celebration Stout and would recommend this beer to everyone to bring in that New Year.  

Price:

€1.99 (Based on Average Price)

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE, GET OUT THERE AND CELEBRATE AND ENJOY SOME GREAT BEERS!!!

Shane

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Hop Head !!!!

Hey everyone, firstly thank you for your nominations for your favourite blogs, Please Please Please keep them coming in the form is below, the more the better. Today's review is on an Irish Beer and Brewery. Enjoy :)

Beer Name:
Hop Head

Brewery:

The Porterhouse

Brewed and Bottled:
The Porterhouse Brewing Company,
Dublin,
Ireland






Alcoholic Percentage:

5.0% Vol

Measure:

330ml

Taste:

Strong Hops, Deep Full Flavour, Bitter, Refreshing, Smooth, Rich, Bitter After Taste.

Colour:

Amber, Light Brown

Odour:

Strong Hops, Citrus

General Thoughts:

Hop Head is another great example of a relatively small brewing company based in Dublin making some absolutely amazing and fantastic beer. Hop Head is a really rich, full bodied, deep in flavour beer. It really packs a punch in flavour and will not disappoint the hop lovers out there. This beer is thrice hopped giving it such a deep flavour. It is bitter but yet refreshing, leaves a bitter after taste, but one that makes you just want to go back for more. This beer really stands out from the crowd and this is what I look for in the perfect beer. One that doesn't just sit back and blend in, but one that really packs flavour and really stands out. There is very little carbonation to this beer making it really easy to drink. I highly recommend this beer, the only downside being that there just isn't enough in the bottle it should be 500ml. This beer is so worth the price that you pay, which in my eyes is very cheap for the quality your getting. All in all another fantastic beer to shout about hence its praise and score from me. Well done The Porterhouse.

Price:

€1.99 (based on a Dublin Carry out on the 15/11/2012)

Shane

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A Hidden Gem to accompany Great Beer!!!!

Hey Guys & Girls, I thought I would post something a little different today, so instead of just a beer review I'm going to talk about a great accompaniment to go with good beer.

     So this weekend I went to the Ideal Home Show in Dublin and came across a fantastic little stand selling chutneys, jams and preserves. I was greeted by two lovely ladies that showed a real passion for their craft of making chutneys etc.

 I was so impressed with the passion and knowledge they had about chutneys and the love that they clearly put into making them. This got me thinking, what a perfect opportunity to write about some people that show the passion I have for Beer, in something that goes brilliantly with Beer.

Some of the products that they had on offer were:

• Strawberry Jam
• Plum Jam
• Quince Chilli Jelly
• Brandy Butter
• Red Pepper Chilli Chutney
• Apricot, Garlic & Ginger Chutney

I tried all of these as well as some others but these were the ones that I bought. They have a huge variety of different products many of which can be paired perfectly with a good beer. I would highly recommend this company and you can find their details below. I would recommend pairing the chutneys above with a nice full flavoured beer, something that stands alone but helps compliment the delicious flavours of the chutneys. I would suggest something smooth and not too heavy, a beer with citrus or honey notes. I would recommend Young's Bitter - Conditioned Ale which I have previously reviewed. You can find the review here

Crossogue Preserves

Crossogue House

Ballycahill, 

Thurles,

Co. Tipperary,

Ireland

Tel: +353 504 54 416

Website: www.crossoguepreserves.com

Email: info@crossoguepreserves.com

These guys are also on Twitter and Facebook.  I hope this gives you all a bit of inspiration to go out and try matching some chutneys with some great beers. This is the perfect time in the run up to Christmas. 

Would love to hear all your stories/recommendations about great produce that matches perfectly with great beer, and any feedback you may have!!!!

Shane

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